Martine Rose present SS13 at London Collections Men

Flux was extremely pleased to see the much needed addition of a dedicated showcase for men’s fashion in London. London Collections: Men kicked off the menswear calendar for SS13 last week. And after all, our men’s fashion designers are becoming an increasingly powerful creative force and as a result (or is it in response to our stylish guys?) our men are more fashionable than ever. So it work out well for just about all of us.

One of our current favourites is Martine Rose who is exactly the type of young, exciting brand who London Collections Men will be the perfect showcase for, bringing the new crop of UK based men’s brands to our attention in London. And of course it’s a great warmup for the Paris shows next week.

Martine Rose drew inspiration for her SS13 collection from a Renaissance sculpture by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. ‘The Rape of Persephone’ is a work of unspeakable beauty that demonstrates realistic soft looking flesh defying the cold marble it is drawn from. The sculpture’s influence emerges with a hands theme that runs through the collection, with bold neoprene prints bonded to beautiful fabrics in pure Martine Rose style.

Martine Rose plays with bleached oversized denim, belted and adjusted to fit, contrasting the street wear uniform the brand has become renowned for with looser more relaxed proportions. Vivid orange and blue stand out on the washed out denim shades and the blacks of the more dressy pieces. And to complete the collection, embroidered masks add a touch of menace to the catwalk.

Martine Rose SS13 Collection will next be showing at London Showrooms Men Paris from Saturday 30 June until Tuesday 3 July 2012 from 10am to 8pm daily. The venue is Le LOFT, off Rue Saint Antoine 28, Impasse Guéménée, 3 cour Bérard, 75004Paris (4eme)